Abstract: Ernest M. Mobley, Republican, was a member of the Assembly from 1967-1976. Some of his legislative interests were local government
and wildlife conservation.

Physical location: California State Archives

Language:
English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.

The California State Archives acquired the Ernest N. Mobley Papers following his final Assembly term.

Alternative Forms of Material Available

Some of these records are available on microfilm at the California State Archives.

Biography

Ernest M. Mobley, Republican, was a member of the Assembly from 1967-1976. He represented the 33rd District, which included
the city of Fresno in Fresno County. After redistricting in 1973, Mobley represented the 31st District that included parts
of the counties of Fresno and Tulare.

He was born on November 1, 1918 in Shadyside, Ohio. He attended public schools in Shadyside, and Rio Grande (Ohio) College.
In 1943, he earned a B.S. from Ohio University. He served in the European Theater during World War II. His service was recognized
with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. He then served as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was
the Fresno Country Administrative Officer, 1956-1962 and Santa Monica City Manager, 1962-1964. In addition, he was a rancher.
Assembly Member Mobley married Lillian Van Zant. They had one daughter, Jill.

He was a charter member of the National Association of County Administrator. He was also a member of the Fresno Elks Lodge,
the Scottish and York Rite Bodies, the American Legion, AMVETS, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also belonged to the
Fresno County Farm Bureau, Sun Maid Raisin Growers Association, and the California Almond Growers Exchange.

Assembly Member Mobley was elected to the State Assembly of California in 1966.

According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks), he served on the following committees:

California State Assembly, 1967-1976

Standing Committees

Agriculture, 1969-1976

Constitutional Amendments, 1967-1968

*Vice Chair, 1967-1968

Efficiency and Cost Control, 1971-1972

*Vice Chair, 1972

Finance and Insurance, 1973-1974

Local Government, 1969

Municipal and County Government, 1967-1968

Resources and Land Use, 1975-

Revenue and Taxation, 1970-1972

Rules, 1969-1975

*Vice Chair, 1975

Water, 1967-1968, 1976

*Chair, 1976

Ways and Means, 1973-1974

Select Committees

County Jurisdiction, 1972-1974

Farm Labor Violence, 1974

Implementation of Career Education, 1975-1976

Manpower Development, 1972-1974

*Vice Chair, 1973-1974

Open Space Lands, 1973-1974

*Vice Chair, 1973-1974

Joint Committees

Legislative Budget, 1969-1976

Legislative Organization, 1969

Organization and Financing of Local Government, 1972

*Chair, 1972

Rules, 1970

Permanent Subcommittee

Water, 1975

As a member of the legislature, he also served on the State Electronic Date Processing Policy Commission , 1969-1970 and the
Little Hoover Commission, 1971-1976.

Scope and Content

The Ernest N. Mobley Papers consist of Assembly Bill Files, 1967-1976, Legislative Counsel Opinions, 1967-1976, and records
of the Joint Committee on Organization and Financing of Local Government, 1971-1972. The bill files document his legislative
activity during all of his terms as a member of the California State Legislature. Often the first folder on a legislative
session includes a summary of bills and resolutions introduced by the Assembly Members and their outcomes (see LP175:167 for
an example from 1968).

One of his legislative interests was local government. His own experience as a county and city administrator made him especially
aware of the challenges facing these officials; his successful bill AB1614 (1968) established guidelines for local government
wishing to establish commissions to negotiate with unions and exempted their negotiations from the Brown Open Meeting Act.
AB2264 (1967) allowed county to expand the kind of services they provided to their residents.

Because of the importance of agriculture to his district and his own experience as a rancher, he also introduced a number
of related bills. Some focused on the growing of cotton: AB681 (1967) introduced regulations to discourage the spread of
the pink bollworm and AB2931 (1975-1976) delayed implementation of clean-air regulations that would have prevented growers
from burning waste after harvesting. He also maintained an interest in veterans' affairs, including the support of measures
to increase the availability of Cal-Vet loans to California Vietnam Veterans, such as the successful Proposition 3 of 1974.

Assembly Member Mobley also introduced the Duck Stamp bill (AB770) which required duck hunters to buy an additional stamp
with their hunting license. The revenue from the program went to the protection of the habitats of migratory birds in California
and elsewhere. It was highly supported by Ducks Unlimited, an organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing, restoring
and managing wetlands. Other measures focused on the needs of Fresno and the surrounding area, such as AB284 (1970) that introduced
a pilot Youth Conservation Corp program centered in state parks and forests in the Fresno area.

The Legislative Counsel Opinions are responses by the Office of Legislative Counsel to inquiries from Assembly Member Mobley
on a wide range of issues of interest to himself and his constituents.

The limited collection of records of the Joint Committee on Organization and Financing of Local Government document Mobley's
role as chair of this committee created by ACR 93 in 1971. The committee researched available sources of financing for city
and county governments and made recommendations about methods to give these governments more sources. They recommended allowing
local governments to impose income taxes in addition to property taxes. One folder documents the activities of Citizen's Committee
on Local Governmental Reorganization, a Sacramento organization.

Arrangement

Arranged into three series: bill files, Legislative Counsel Opinions, and records of the Joint Committee on Organization and
Financing of Local Government.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been associated with these materials in the Archives'
automated public access system (currently in development, July 2004).

Subjects

Mobley, Ernest N.

California - - Legislature - - Assembly

Local government - - Law and Legislation

Series Descriptions

Folder LP175:167-223

Series 1.
Bill Files, 1967-1976

Physical Description:
57 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by session and numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill files created by Ernest N. Mobley may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony,
press releases, editorials and newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements, and other information. Microfilm
copies of bill files are available for the years 1967-1976 as indicated by (mf) following the LP number.

1967: AB247-AB2479, ACRs, AJRs, HRs (4ff) LP175:167-170 (mf)

1968: AB183-AB2077, AJR10, HRs, RCR365 (6ff) LP175:171-176 (mf)

1969: AB90-AB2076, ACA87, ACRs, AJR54 (6ff) LP175:177-183 (mf)

1970: AB68-AB2478, ACRs, AJRs, HRs (8ff) LP175:184-190 (mf)

1971: AB68-AB3097, ACRs, AJR17, HR65 (9ff) LP175:191-199 (mf)

1972: AB43-AB2371, ACR16 (4ff) LP175:200-203 (mf)

1973-1974: AB156-AB4481, ACRs, AJR58, HR165 (7ff) LP175:204-210 (mf)

1975-1976: AB13-AB4513, ACA74, ACRs, AJR35 (13ff) LP175:211-223 (mf)

Folder LP175:224-227

Series 2.
Legislative Counsel Opinions, 1967-1976

Physical Description:
4 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of Legislative Counsel response.

Scope and Content Note

These files contain inquires to the office of the Legislative Counsel about matters of interest to Assembly Member Mobley
and the response of the Legislative Counsel to these inquiries.

Folder LP175:228-229

Series 3.
Records of the Joint Committee on Organization and Financing of Local Government, 1971-1972

Physical Description:
2 files folders

Arrangement

Arranged roughly chronologically or by subject.

Scope and Content Note

These records briefly document Assembly Member Mobley's role as chair of the Joint Committee on Organization and Financing
of Local Government. These records contain information about the formation of the committee, notes on meetings, minutes,
correspondence, and draft report. The Joint Committee investigated new sources of revenues for local government, methods to
monitor local expenditures, and the effect of state and federal mandates on local governments. They also include a series
of reports from the Citizen's Committee on Local Governmental Reorganization, a group investigating consolidation of city
and county government in the Sacramento area.